tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post4419251740896349571..comments2015-03-27T08:57:14.346-04:00Comments on Tales From The Sharrows: Ride In 7/23: Womp WompBriannoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-45899342860013517522012-08-06T07:40:29.821-04:002012-08-06T07:40:29.821-04:00@slapdash- thanks for reading and thanks for the c...@slapdash- thanks for reading and thanks for the comment! The psychology of shoalers is just one of life&#39;s greatest mysteries. I alternate between being utterly obsessed with their motivations and utterly motivated to ignore their obsession of passing stupidly. It&#39;d probably be better if I just ignored it, but biking is all about the tremendous feeling of unfettered freedom and having someone obstruct you in a kind of passive-aggressive way is very much antithetical to that.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08336664610270023779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-24803357006240696082012-08-05T23:44:01.598-04:002012-08-05T23:44:01.598-04:00Just found your blog through GGW and am loving it....Just found your blog through GGW and am loving it. Shoaling. So annoying. I am usually on a CaBi and I wear skirts and dresses. Also, I am short. So I get shoaled at every damn light. Hint: if I passed you going up the 15th St cycletrack between Penn and New York, I&#39;m probably going to pass you again before M. And again after Mass. So really, after being humiliated the first couple times, wouldn&#39;t you stop doing it? <br /><br />If it is necessary to pass after the light (and I know the timing of all the lights on my commute--you gotta HIT IT after Mass if you want to make it through Rhode Island, and if you keep it up you can make it through P, too) by all means, pass me. But pre-emptively passing me is going to end in getting smoked by the tiny girl in the skirt on the 40 pound 3 gear bike 4 times out of 5.<br /><br />Thank you for letting me share this (somewhat unexpected) rant. I feel better.The Slapdash Sewisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11668474749166329852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-29604897924343495152012-07-23T20:46:15.144-04:002012-07-23T20:46:15.144-04:00I always wear a helmet. And normally a do-rag as I...I always wear a helmet. And normally a do-rag as I am bald, and don&#39;t want weird suntans. I had a friend that mountain biked helmet-less. He argued that it was his choice. I countered that once he was dead, he wouldn&#39;t be the problem. It would be his mom or other family member that would sue the un-safe park. Then we&#39;d all suffer, because the park may close in retaliation. He persisted, and I don&#39;t ride with him any longer.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11041761402729125881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-28453536128733211552012-07-23T15:59:33.670-04:002012-07-23T15:59:33.670-04:00I usually wear a helmet...doesn&#39;t bother me an...I usually wear a helmet...doesn&#39;t bother me and provides some peace of mind even though I know the odds of sustaining a blow to the head are extremely slim. <br /><br />Also, my understanding of the current helmet research is that there is no correlation between helmet use and reduced injury rates. What there does seem to be, however, is a negative correlation between mandatory helmet laws and bicycle use (see bikesharing in Melbourne)...a large body of doctors, based on this research, has adopted the view that the health benefits of cycling outweigh the potential risk of a head injury...thus we shouldn&#39;t have helmet laws. <br /><br />This may be one of the few issues on which I generally agree with Grant Petersen...scary.Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07926034591531413589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-80737607458891233942012-07-23T15:08:34.661-04:002012-07-23T15:08:34.661-04:00I have a friend who works with head injury patient...I have a friend who works with head injury patients, she scared the bejeebies out of me regarding the damage just a minor head on concrete incident can do. I don&#39;t leave my house on my bike without one. Even when I plan on taking CaBi I have a helmet with me. However, I don&#39;t judge those who choose not to wear one, every adult should make their own decision.bikesandpiehttp://bikesandpie.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-59501511792721224002012-07-23T14:48:18.190-04:002012-07-23T14:48:18.190-04:006. Make any intentions clear and audible... Signal...6. Make any intentions clear and audible... Signal, and say &quot;on your left&quot; or something, anything... Sorry to post another comment, don&#39;t want to monopolize the comment area. -@SamuelMooreAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-32348241096906923562012-07-23T14:43:31.952-04:002012-07-23T14:43:31.952-04:00Not carzy about helmets myself. Started wearing on...Not carzy about helmets myself. Started wearing one when I had little kids. Now it feels odd when I don&#39;t wear one, like not wearing a watch, which come to think of it I stopped doing a couple of years ago.<br /><br />On the shoaling thing, I think we need a poll to detemine what is the most annoying thing about DC biking. Shoaling. Bollards. U-turning taxis. The mayor (any mayor will do). The Rosslyn Circle of Death. Slippery wooden bridges. Trolley tracks.Rootchopperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14920848117942799222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-64480041511558932762012-07-23T14:08:29.581-04:002012-07-23T14:08:29.581-04:00If I hadn&#39;t been wearing a helmet, there&#39;d...If I hadn&#39;t been wearing a helmet, there&#39;d be Sam brain residue on Maryland Avenue NE, near the intersection with 14th Street. So long as the helmet doesn&#39;t interfere with the cyclist&#39;s field of vision, it&#39;s a mandatory piece of safety equipment in my opinion. It&#39;s also not about the cyclist being safe, it&#39;s about bad drivers not paying attention, why not protect your head, if even marginally? -@SamuelMooreAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com